Electrical assembly



June 3 1953 v. R. HERTERICK ELECTRICAL .ASSEMBLY 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledJan. 15, 1952 \NVENTOR'. VINCENT R. HERTERKIK, BY mf/tiw .AGENT.

J1me 1953 v. R. HERTERICK ELECTRICAL ASSEMBLY 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledJan. 15, 1952 \NVENTOR VINCENT R. HERTERKJK, BY MAJ/dub AGENT.

June 30, 1953 v. R. HERTERICK ELECTRICAL ASSEMBLY 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 FiledJan. 15, 1952 \NVE'NTOR VINCENT R. HERTEfMCK,

Patented June 3t), 1953 UNITED I STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICALASSEMBLY Vincent R. Herterick, Waltham, Mass., assignor to United-CarrFastener Corporation, Cambridge, Mass., a corporation oi MassachusettsApplication January 15, 1952, Serial No. 266,550

12 Claims. (01. zoo-11) This invention relates generally to electricalassemblies, and has particular reference to circuit continuing membersuch as an electrical switch or the like.

In certain types of electrical switches, where a great many differentcircuits are to. be controlled, it is customary to provide a housinghaving one or more circuit-completing rotors disposed therein which areoperable from outside the housing, and a contact plate disposed oppositethe rotors having a plurality of contact members disposed thereon forelectrical contact with shorting members mounted on the rotors. Wiresare commonly attachedto the contacts on the plate and extend rearwardlytherefrom to a rear opening in the housing. When the switch is requiredto complete a great many circuits in various combinations, as is thecase, for example, in the master lightin switch in a military vehiclesuch as a truck or a tank, a great many wires are required to beassembled onto the plate, which necessitates a relatively large housing.Such an assembly also is relatively expensive, due to the cost of laborinvolved in assembling the wires thereon, and if the device is to carrylarge amounts of current, there is always the danger that the heatgenerated thereby will damage the insulation on the wiring and causeshort circuits to develop between the wires, which are usually crowdedclosely together. Since the wires ex tending from the rear of thehousing must be arranged in a predetermined manner to fit into a matingconnector which has the connections to the various circuits disposedthereon in a predetermined arrangement, it is easily possible for errorsto occur in wiring the switch.

The object of the invention is to provide an electrical switch assemblyin which no internal wiring is required.

A further object of the invention is to provide an electrical switch inwhich, the internal portions thereof are so designed that it is possibleto assemble the switch only with the various circuit-completing membersdisposed in the proper relation to one another.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an electricalassembly providing a plurality of electrical paths from one end of theassembly to the other so that the position of the paths relative to eachother is changed in passing through the assembly, having a stackedseries of insulating plates to support a plurality of rigid conductorbars, in which some plates are provided with elongated transverseopenings to receive transverse portions of said conductor bars.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a switch embodying the featuresof the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the switch of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation of the rear of the switch of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view in section taken on line 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a view in section taken on line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an exploded view of the connector stack and the rear portionof the housing;

Fig. 7 is a view in elevation of the rear of the stack illustrated inFig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a front plan view of the connector stack, with the relativeposition of the rotor contacts superimposed thereon to show the relativearrangements of the connector stack contacts and the rotor contacts; and

Fig. 9 is an exploded view of the component parts of the connectorstack.

Referrin to the drawing, there is illustrated a switch assembly 10,which comprises generally a housing having a front portion H and a rearportion l2 with a rear opening l4, and circuitcompleting means assembledin the housing which comprises a pair of contact rotors l6 and [8 whichare operable from outside the housing by suitable levers 20 and 22.

The rotor I6 comprises an insulating support 24 having a, plurality ofcontact members 26 assembled thereon. Certain of said contact membersmay be joined at the rear portion by shorting plates 28, so that saidcontact members may complete electrical circuits in a manner to appearhereinafter. A metallic support plate 30 is disposed on the rear of thesupport 24 and is provided with suitable peripheral notches 32 forengagement with a spring arm 34, to stop the rotation of the rotor invarious predetermined positions. If a lock mechanism is desired on therotor, the periphery may also be provided with suitable ratchet teeth 36for engagement with a pawl 38. The pawl 38 may be operated by a lever 39on the outside of the housing, and the pawl and teeth may be so arrangedthat the rotor l6 may not be operated until the lever 39 is moved todisengage the pawl. The rotor I8 is generally similar in construction tothe rotor IS, with the exception that the contact members have adifferent arrangement to suit the requirements of the individual switch.

To conduct the electrical circuits from the rear opening H to therotors, a circuit-continuattitude ing assembly til is provided in theflouting adieu, cent the rotors, which comprises a series of stackedinsulating lates with a pluralii'ly' of conductor bars assembledtherewith (see Figs. B through 9). In the illustrated embodiment, thereis provided a front or contact surface plate 42, template plates 44, 48and 52, spacer plates 46 and 50 disposed between adjacent templateplates, and a, rear plate 54. The conductor bars are designated byletters A through N. and are formed of relatively rigid material so asto be adapted for the assembly operation to be dcscribed hereinafter. Atypical connector bar comprises a medial portion having a thicknesssubstantially equal to the thickness of the template plate, with one ormore front contact members disposed thereon in spaced relation whichextend generally atv right angles to the medial portion for electricalcontact with the rotor contacts, and a rear connector member alsodisposed on th medial portion for extending toward the rear of thehousing when assembled. For example, connector bar A comprises a medialportion Al, a front contact surface A3 disposed at one end thereof, anda rear connector A2 disposed at the other end and extending in theopposite direction. As a, further example, conductor bar L comprises amedial portion LI, 9. rearwardly extending connector L2, and threeforwardly extending contacts L3, L4, and L5. The portions of th otherbars have similar des ignations. In each case the medial portion of aconductor bar is indicated by the designating letter of the bar of whichit is a part, followed by the number i, such as A l, BI, Cl, and soforth. In each case the letter of the bar followed by the number 2indicates a rearwardly extending connector, such as A2, B2, C2, and soforth. With two exceptions, the letter of the bar followed by the number3, 4, or 5 indicates aforwardly extending contact, such as A3, D4, andL5. The two exceptions are F3 and N3, which indicate a second rearwardlyextending conmotor on the bars F and N respectively.

The template plates are provided with clangated openings of variousshapes, each of which conforms to the shape of the medial portion of aparticular conductor bar. For example, template 44 is provided with anopening 44a to receive conductor bar A, opening 441) to receiveconductor bar B, and so on. Each plate is necessarily provided withother openings, some of which, for purposes of simplifying the drawing,have not been numbered. The function of these other openings will becomeapparent hereinafter.

To assemble the stack, the front face plate 42 is placed on a suitablework space with the rotor contact side down, and the template 44 issuperimposed in aligned relation thereon. Connector bars A, B, C, and Dare then assembled into the template 44. Connector A is assembled intoopening 44a in plate 44 so that the medial portion thereof is disposedin the opening, and the front contact portion A3 protrudes therefrominto an opening 42a, provided in the front plate, and the rear connectorA2 extend upwardly in a generally perpendicular direction to the plate44. Connector B is assembled in a similar manner, so that the medialportion BI is disposed in opening 44b, and the front contact member 33extending through a suitably positioned opening 42b in the front plate42. After connectors C and D have been assembled in like manner intotheir respective openings in the plate 44, the

4 upper surface thereof presents a smooth unintemipted surface exceptfor the rear connector portions extending upwardly therefrom.

The insulating spacer plate 46 may then be superimposed onto the plate44, and for this purpose is provided with a group of openings 43a,

45b, 46c and 46d, which are appropriately spaced provided with fiveelongated slots, to receive themedial portions of conductor bars E, F,G, H, and I.

This second group of conductor bars are assembled in the mannerdescribed hereinbefore. For example, the conductor bar E is assembled sothat the medial portion El is disposed in th slot 486, and the frontcontact end E3 extends through opening- 46c, e, and 42g in the plates46, 44 and 42 respectively. After the conductor bars of this group areassembled, the spaer 50 is assembled in a manner hereinbefore describedin connection with the spacer 46. The spacer 50 is provided withsuitable openings to receive the rear connector portions of thepreviously assembled conductor bars A through I, and also is providedwith openings to receive the front contact portions of conductor bars tobe assembled subsequently.

Template 52, connectors J through N, and the rear plate 54 may then beassembled in a similar manner, and the entire stack may then be fastenedtogether with rivets or other suitable means.

After such assembly, the front connectors of the conductor bars extendinto the openings in the front plate and terminate so as to besubstantially flush with the surface thereof, to enable them to makeelectrical contact with appropriate contact members on the rotors I6 and[8. The rear connectors A2, B2, E2, F2, G2, H2, 12, J2, K2, L2, M2, andN2 protrude a substantial distance from the rear plate 54, and are sopositioned in a single group thereon as to enter the rear opening I4 inthe housing when the assembly 40 is assembled (see Fig. 6)

To provide rigidity to the ends of the rear connectors, an insulatingmember 55 may be provided in the rear opening I4, which supports andpositions the rear connectors and also provides a watertight seal .inthe opening.

In the illustrated embodiment, the front connectors of the conductorbars are disposed in the front plate 42 so as to form two separategroups of contacts, for contact with the rotors I 6 and I8. However, theconfiguration of the conductor bars in the stack of plates permits therear connectors to protrude rearwardly from the stack in a single group,for entering the rear opening of the housing for engagement with asuitable junction box or connector (not shown) with said rear connectorsdisposed in a predetermined desired relation to each other. This featureis particularly desirable where a switch embodying the features of theinvention must be designed not only for use in new construction,

but also to replace units already in service, where the switch must matewith a junction connector having electrical circuits connected theretowhich it would be inconvenient or impossible to change.

In electrical circuits passing through the switch, it is usuallydesirable to provide a circuit breaker, and the switch of the inventionis particularly adapted for permitting the circuit breaker to beassembled inside the switch housing. For example, the rear plate 54 maybe provided with a relatively large opening 56, shaped to allow acircuit breaker 58 to seat therein. The circuit breaker is provided witha pair of contacts 60 and 62 on the rear side, and in the particularswitch illustrated, connection is made to the circuit breaker by therear connector portions F3 and C2 of conductor bars F and C, which areof a suitable length to be bent over the contacts 60 and 62 and securedthereto by soldering, which also retains the circuit breaker in place.Some circuits of the switch may require that a resistor be includedtherein, and the present assembly is readily adapted to allow such aunit to be assembled inside the housing. For example, in the illustratedembodiment, a stack rivet 64 may be provided with a resilient portion 68on the end thereof, to enter the bore 68 of a hollow resistor 10 forfrictional engagement therewith. The resistor is provided with a pair ofleads 12 and 14 which may be soldered to rear connector portions D2 andN3 of conductor bars D and N respectively, which are of such a length asto protrude beyond the rear plate 54 only far enough to permit such aconnection. To assist in maintaining the resistor in position a resistormounting post 16 may be provided on the rear wall of the housing, toenter the rear end of the resistor bore. The post 16 may conveniently beformed as an integral part of the housing, and also serves to absorbheat generated in the resistor and transmit it to the outside of thehousing.

It is, of course, obvious that since the medial portions of theconductor bars are designed to allow the various connections from thefront plate to be transposed laterally from one position to another inpassing through the assembly, the configuration of the medial portionsin the template plates must be such as to avoid the other openingstherein. It will also be noted that any particular conductor bar willfit properly into only one particular elongated opening of thetemplates, thereby greatly simplifying the assembly operation. It isalso impossible to assemble the switch with the template plates in' thewrong order, since in such a case the correct number of openings inadjacent plates for the front contacts and rear connectors will not beprovided.

Hence, it is impossible to assemble any portion of the switchimproperly, and this feature provides a major advantage over prior typesof switches which use flexible wires to make the connections from therear of the switch to the contact plate.

The illustrated device shows a particular embodiment of the features ofthe invention, however the teachings of the invention may be applied toother electrical devices, such as connectors, plugs, and the like. Insuch a case, where it is desired to rearrange the relative position ofthe circuits passing therethrough, or to combine various circuits in apredetermined manner, a stack of insulating template plates and spacerplates with conductor bars assembled therewith generally in the mannerillustrated may be used, and the conductor bars may either terminate soas to be flush with each end of the stack for contact with rotors ateach end, or may be provided with either male or female connectors ateither end, depending on the application in which it is to be used.

Although the illustrated device is provided with a plurality of templateplates, in switches in which the circuit arrangement is not socomplicated, it may be possible to accomplish the circuit rearrangementin a single template.

Since certain other obvious modifications may be made in the devicewithout departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended thatall matter contained herein be interpreted in an illustrative and not ina limiting sense.

I claim:

1. An electrical assembly comprising a series of stacked support platesand a series of conductor members assembled therewith to provide aseries of electrical paths from one end of the assembly to the othersuch that the position of the paths in relation to each other is changedin passing through the assembly, said assembly having end plates withopenings suitably positioned to receive ends of said conductor membersand maintain them in a different predetermined position relative to eachother at the opposite ends of the assembly, and an intervening platehaving a series of elongated slots disposed therein, said conductormembers having ends disposed in said openings in said end plates, andintermediate transversely extending portions disposed in said slots inthe intervening plate and joining said end portions.

2. An electrical assembly comprising a series of stacked support platesand a series of rigid conductor bars assembled therewith to provide aseries of electrical paths from one end of the assembly to the other,said assembly having end plates with openings to receive ends of saidconductor bars, and an intervening insulating template plate havingsuitably positioned elongated slots, each slot extending generally froma position opposite an opening in one end plate to a position oppositean opening in the other end plate which is out of alignment with theopening in said one plate, said conductor bars having ends disposed outof alignment with each other and extending into appropriate openings insaid end plates, and intermediate portions connecting said ends whichare disposed in said slots in the intervening plate.

3. An electrical connector assembly comprising insulating support meansand a series of conductor members assembled therewith to provide aseries of electrical paths from one end of the support to the other suchthat the position of the paths in relation to each other is changed inpassing through the support, said support having openings at each endpositioned to receive ends of said conductor members and maintain themin a different predetermined position relative to each other at theopposite ends of the support, said support having internal aperturesextending angularly in relation to the plane of the ends and connectingto appropriate openings in opposite ends of the support, said conductormembers having ends disposed in said openings in the opposite ends ofthe support, and intermediate portions extending through said aperturesjoining said ends.

4. An electrical assembly, comprising a series conductor bars assembledtherewith to provide a series of electrical paths from one end of theassembly to the other such that the position of the paths in relation toeach other is changed in passing through the assembly, said assemblyhaving end plates with openings to receive ends of said conductor bars,a series of intermediate template plates having elongated slots disposedtherein, and insulating spacer plates disposed between said templateplates, said conductor bars having medial portions disposed in anelongated slot of a template plate, and connector portions extendingfrom spaced points on said medial portion toward opposite ends of thestack and extending through aligned openings in any intervening templateplates and insulating spacer plates into the openings in said endplates.

5. An electrical assembly comprising a stack of insulating platescomprising end plates, template plates disposed therebetween, andinsulating spacer plates disposed between adjacent template plates, saidtemplate plates having elongated apertures of various shapes disposedtherein, said plates having aligned openings disposed therethrough toconnect to said elongated apertures at predetermined positions, and aseries of conductor bars assembled with said plates, said bars havingflat elongated medial portions disposed in and conforming to the shapeof said various apertures in the template plates, and having connectorportions extending from appropriate points thereon through said alignedopenings into an exposed position at the end of the stack.

6. An electrical assembly, comprising a series of stacked support platesand a series of rigid conductor bars assembled therewith to provide aseries of electrical paths from one end of the assembly to the other,said assembly having end plates, intermediate template plates, andspacer plates disposed between adjacent template plates, one of said endplates having at least two groups of openings disposed therein toreceive ends of said conductor bars so that said ends are grouped tomake electrical contact with a corresponding number ofcircuit-completing means, the other end plate having only a single groupof openings disposed therein, said template plates each having a seriesof elongated slots disposed therein, the plates intervening between anytemplate plate and each end plate having openings aligned with anopening in an end plate and an appropriate point on one of said slots,said conductor bars having flat medial portions disposed in andgenerally corresponding to the shape of said slots, and connectorportions extending from appropriate points on said medial portionthrough said aligned openings into the openings in said end plates,whereby electrical paths are provided through said assembly from saidplurality of groups at one end to said single group at the other endwith said paths being disposed in a different predetermined relation toeach other at each end.

7. An electrical assembly as set forth in claim 1 in which the ends ofsaid conductor bars are substantially flush with the surface of one endplate, and protrude a substantial distance from the end plate at theother end of the assembly.

8. An electrical assembly as set forth in claim 6, in which theconnector portions of said conductor bars are substantially flush withthe end plate of the assembly having at least two groups of openings,and protrude .a substantial distance from the end plate at the other endof the assembly having only'a single group of openings.

9. An electrical assembly, comprising a series of stacked insulatingplates, said series comprising a front plate having a series of openingsdisposed therein, template plates disposed behind said front plate, andspacer plates disposed between adiacent template plates, each templateplate having a series of elongated slots disposed therein which extendgenerally between predetermined positions thereon, intervening platesbetween any template plate and said front plate having openingstherethrough aligned with appropriate openings in the front plate andappropriate points on said elongated slots, and a series of conductorbars assembled with said plates, said conductor bars having medialportions disposed in said slots in said template plates, and connectorportions extending therefrom through said aligned openings intoappropriate openings in said front plate.

10. An electrical assembly, comprising a series of stacked insulatingplates, and a series of relatively rigid conductor bars assembledtherewith to provide a series of electrical paths from one end of theassembly to the other such that the position of the paths relative toeach other is changed in passing through the assembly, said assemblyhaving end plateswith openings to receive ends of said conductor barsand maintain them in different predetermined positions relative to eachother at each end of the assembly, template plates disposed between saidend plates having elongated slots disposed therein which extendgenerally between points thereon which are opposite the position of twoor more openings in the end plates, spacer plates disposed betweenadjacent template plates, said conductor bars having medial portionsdisposed in and conforming generally to the shape of said elongatedslots, and a first series of connector members extending from the medialportions toward one of said end plates, said connector members passingthrough suitably spaced aligned openings in any intervening plates andextending into appropriate openings in said one end plate, andterminating so as to be substantially flush with the surface thereof,and a second series of the connector members extending from the medialportions into the other end plate and protruding a substantial distancetherebeyond.

11. An electric switch assembly, comprising a housing, acircuit-completing means disposed at one end of the housing which isoperable from outside the housing, and a connector assembly disposed inthe housing adjacent the circuitcompleting means, said connectorassembly comprising a series of stacked insulating plates and a seriesof relatively rigid conductor bars assembled therewith, said stack ofplates comprising a face plate and a rear plate having suitable openingsdisposed in predetermined positions to receive ends of said connectorbars, and at least one template plate disposed between said face plateand said rear plate, said template plate having elongated slots disposedtherein which extend generally between points thereon oppositenon-aligned openings in said front plate and said end plate betweenwhich it is desired to provide an electrical path, said conductor barshaving fiat media1 portions disposed in and conforming to the shape ofsaid elongated slots, connector members extending from appropriatepoints thereon into said openings in the face plate and terminating inends which are substantially flush with the front surface thereof forelectrical contact with the circuit-completing means, and otherconnectors extending from said medial portions rearwardly into theopenings in said rear plate. I

12. An electric switch assembly, comprising a housing, a rotatablecircuit completing member disposed in the housing and operable fromoutside the housing having circuit-completing contact members disposedtherein, and a connector assembly disposed in the housing adjacent thecircuit-completing means, said connector assembly comprising a series ofstacked insulating plates and a series of relatively rigid conductorbars assembled therewith, said stack of plates comprising a face plateand a rear plate, a series of template plates disposed therebetween, andspacer plates disposed between the template plates, said face plate andsaid rear plate having openings therein to receive ends of saidconductor bars, said template plates having series of elongated slotsdisposed therein'which extend generally between points thereon oppositepredetermined openings in the front and rear plates between which it isdesired to provide an electrical path, said conductor bars having fiatmedialportions disposed in and conforming generally to the shape of saidslots, and con nector portions extending therefrom through suitablyspaced and aligned openings in any intervening plates into the connectoropenings in the front plate to terminate in ends which are substantiallyflush with the front face thereof, and other connectors extending fromother points on said medial portions rearwardly through aligned openingsin any intervening plates into said openings in the rear plate.

VINCENT R. HERTERICK.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName 5 Date 2,006,436 Bowers July 2, 1935 Carpenter et a1. Jan. 5, 1937

